What would you do?

[Mayne Evnt]

Here is my situation, I purchased my bike from Ohio so that's where the dealer is located but I live in Louisiana. After searching it seems we have one yamaha dealer in my city. I am due for my 600 mile oil/filter change so I called to schedule but to my surprise the lady tells me they are booked until June 15 and she has no way of sliding me in?

So my question is, do I just take it to any bike shop or just change it myself?

 

[CrazyCawi]

thatsa tough call because for warranty wise you want yamaha to do atleast that first service

 

[Alex6]

thatsa tough call because for warranty wise you want yamaha to do atleast that first service

I've never heard about this requirement. I think service at any of the legaly operating m/c shop will not validate the warranty.

 

[JSP]

thatsa tough call because for warranty wise you want yamaha to do atleast that first service

Not true at all...

You can do it yourself and save the money. They cannot deny you warranty at all. Its very simple to change the oil/filter. Just save your receipts and make a log book showing the date, mileage and what you did. If there IS a warranty issue, they have to PROVE you cause it for them to deny it. They cannot require you to have them work on the bike for warranty. It is illegal.

This is a great time for you to go over your bike. Get the shop manual. Change your oil/filter, chain slack, etc.

All the service is (if they even do it, most dont, charge you for it, and just change your oil/filter), is making sure brakes work, lights work, kickstand switch works, no leaks anywhere, etc. All pretty much visual inspections.

And if you are that worried about it, ANY motorcycle shop can do it for you. Yamaha has nothing to do with it. They just want to see that you did it, thats all.

 

[Mayne Evnt]

Cuz if I wait til June it will Be well past the required maintenance check point

 

[99vengeur]

There's a couple of us up in Shreveport if you wanna come up here and we can go through it with you. I have all the stands and tools you would need, and I just did a major wrench day this weekend for my 20,000 mile maintenance.

 

[CrazyCawi]

Im not saying you have to....im saying it makes it easier.....In my 7 years experience at dealerships....if you did your first service at a dealership they will give you whats called good grace.....or if you do any service there they give you this benefit which is after warranty expires they "pull the good card" with the manufacturer and they get things fixed under warranty for yo when your warranty is expired. Just my opinion and observation only.

 

[Mayne Evnt]

There's a couple of us up in Shreveport if you wanna come up here and we can go through it with you. I have all the stands and tools you would need, and I just did a major wrench day this weekend for my 20,000 mile maintenance.

That's a nice drive for me, I think like 4 hours...I'm in Lafayette....thanks for the offer, I'll make sure to keep it in mind! Lol

 

[JSP]

Im not saying you have to....im saying it makes it easier.....In my 7 years experience at dealerships....if you did your first service at a dealership they will give you whats called good grace.....or if you do any service there they give you this benefit which is after warranty expires they "pull the good card" with the manufacturer and they get things fixed under warranty for yo when your warranty is expired. Just my opinion and observation only.

Absolutely... for AFTER your warranty expires and you ask for them to fix something, they see if you gave them any monies from when you bought the bike. Ive delt with that many times with cars. Bought car but never gave them a dime after that, no good will repair after warranty is up haha. But the amount of money you save by doing it yourself far outweighs it IMO... Never had to deal with that on a bike though.

Usually if you have no issues before your warranty is up, you are pretty golden as long as you do the maintenance and treat her right. Little wine and dine every now and then, chocolate, flowers, shopping sprees..... wait, talking about the bike. Thats right. Same still applies

 

[99vengeur]

That's a nice drive for me, I think like 4 hours...I'm in Lafayette....thanks for the offer, I'll make sure to keep it in mind! Lol

Not a problem. Anything to help a fellow rider out. If you ever head up this way or want to go out for a ride, Uno979 and myself do a lot of riding together.

 

[bleedinblue]

That's a nice drive for me, I think like 4 hours...I'm in Lafayette....thanks for the offer, I'll make sure to keep it in mind! Lol

If you can find a hotel for $75, then you will get a full inspection for the price of a oil change at Yamaha.
$50 in gas, after food, oil and everything you will still be under $200, and $50 cheaper than being serviced at Yamaha, Plus you get to learn instead of wait

 

[Invader Jim]

There's a couple of us up in Shreveport if you wanna come up here and we can go through it with you. I have all the stands and tools you would need, and I just did a major wrench day this weekend for my 20,000 mile maintenance.

Do you think this wrench will work for the factory oil filter?

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Worlds-Best-Universal-Filter-Wrench/dp/B000UD0CTQ/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS?ie=UTF8&coliid=I3C0YDAG7XXFA3&colid=2W778CXJLOWUE]Amazon.com: World's Best Universal Oil Filter Wrench - 3 Jaws: Home Improvement[/ame]

 

[DragonBlu]

There is not a lot of room around the edges of the filter. I don't know if that will work. I used the metal socket type I bought at the dealer For the first few changes and now I use K&N filters with the nut built in on the end so all you need is a socket and ratchet.

 

[99vengeur]

Do you think this wrench will work for the factory oil filter?

Amazon.com: World's Best Universal Oil Filter Wrench - 3 Jaws: Home Improvement

I'm not sure how well that would work. The reviews on it are pretty mixed. I've tried using the "cup" style and they are crap as well. To get my filter off, I just use a pair of adjustable channel lock pliers. They work great, and you are throwing the filter away anyways, so I don't care if it gets crimped.

If giving it a try is worth the $12 or so, let us know if it does work out.

 

[danieljardim]

I'm not sure how well that would work. The reviews on it are pretty mixed. I've tried using the "cup" style and they are crap as well. To get my filter off, I just use a pair of adjustable channel lock pliers. They work great, and you are throwing the filter away anyways, so I don't care if it gets crimped.

If giving it a try is worth the $12 or so, let us know if it does work out.

.

I have one of those and works pretty good on my honda magna. Never tried on fz6r because don't need oil change yet.

 

[Mayne Evnt]

So essentially I guess that if I do maintenance on my own or take it to a certified motorcycle shop it's all about keeping records to cover my back!

 

[JSP]

So essentially I guess that if I do maintenance on my own or take it to a certified motorcycle shop it's all about keeping records to cover my back!

Always good to have records. Helps you sell the bike down the road as well. Proves to the buyer you took good care of your girl.

 

[bleedinblue]

So essentially I guess that if I do maintenance on my own or take it to a certified motorcycle shop it's all about keeping records to cover my back!

Thats almost exactly what the people at the dealership told me when I asked about this.
Yamaha puts alot of detail into the owners manual for a reason, and gives you tools.
Its so that you can buy a Yamaha, use it to theyre expectation, outgrow it, and buy another.

Yamaha wants to sale you a new bike, the dealer wants to sale you everything they offer.
Your receipts are just Yamahas way of making sure the bike was used in conditions similar to what it encountered during research and development.

Thats just my own thoughts.But I think Yamahas been in the game long enough now to realize that the more you spend on service work, the longer you wait to buy a new motorcycle.

 

[CrazyCawi]

According to my Yamaha service manager a lot of services in the service manual are earlier then needed or more frequent then needed so he advises me when and when NOT to do things lol its nice to have a good relationship with a service manager

 

[va_bank]

Do the oil changes yourself. Even if the dealer is 1 mile away from your house, it will be quicker for you to do it than to wait for them.